A Crucible

I trust you read the title of this post correctly. I do not want to appear to be in competition with a play written by Arthur Miller. Miller's play depicts the events of 1692 that led to the Salem witch trials. He wrote his piece in the 1950s in response to McCarthyism, the US government's blacklisting of accused communists. In 1996 a film version starring Winona Ryder was awarded four stars. So I guess "The Crucible" is a pretty famous literary work. (Find an article on McCarthyism, "Blacklisted by History" at www.lifeworkforum.org/writingresources/articles.)

Today I'm writing about a crucible. The Lord brought the word into my mind while I was on a recent visit with friends. I thought I knew it's meaning, but went to a dictionary for verification. Our friends have a collection of dictionaries and I found the following comparison intriguing.

The American Dictionary of the American Language from 1828 defines a crucible as:

1. a chimical [sic]vessel or melting pot, made of earth, and so tempered and baked, as to endure extreme heat without melting. It is used for melting ores, metals. etc.
   
2. a hollow place at the bottom of a chimmical [sic] furnace.

That means that the word "crucible" existed and was used as early as the beginning of the 19th century to mean a container that was prepared in a way that allowed it to withstand extreme heat with no ill effects. Such a container was used in the process of refining ores and metals which required extremely high temperatures. Obviously any vessel not properly prepared would itself be destroyed in the process. Crucible could also mean the hollowed out spot at the bottom of the furnace where the purified materials would come to rest.

Webster's New World College dictionary, 4th edition, 2000 defines a crucible as:

1. a container made of a substance that can resist great heat, for melting, fusing or calcining ores, metals, etc.
2. the hollow at the bottom of an ore furnace, where the molten metal collects
3. a severe test or trial

The 2000 definition adds further details to the 1828 understanding and shows that word usage changes over time. Evidently a crucible isn't a vessel merely prepared in a special way. The substance of which the crucible is made is also special. In order to retain its integrity under the extreme conditions in which it is used, a crucible must be both made of an exceptional material and processed in a particular way.

A crucible is still the word used to describe the resting area for the refined materials at the bottom of the furnace, but is has another usage as well. Crucible can mean a severe test or trial, a struggle of immense proportion. I find myself relating to this seldom used word. There have been numerous points in my life where I have felt as if I've been living in a furnace. I've jokingly thought a few times that Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego from the book of Daniel had nothing on me. :-) But what is a furnace supposed to do anyway?

The main purpose of a furnace is to produce heat. I'm thankful for the one that warms our home by the lake when the wood stove is cold. Furnaces are used for many things beyond heating houses. One purpose in the industrial world is annealing. My own Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, 1989 tells me that to anneal means to:

1. heat (glass, earthenware, metals, etc.) to remove or prevent internal stress.
2. to free from internal stress by heating and gradually cooling
3. to toughen or temper: to anneal the mind.

Now I'm beginning to identify with a crucible as I consider my walk through this fallen world.

I certainly am basic ore, formed of raw materials and in need of refining. If I forget the impurities in my every day life, I am certainly reminded when the going gets tough. Facing a demanding task or a short deadline, adrenalin begins to flow and I can easily turn to sin. Anger, criticism, nasty attitudes, etc. spill out when I lose sight of Jesus and rest in myself. Being judged or misunderstood by others can open the door to all kinds of temptation. The furnace is on high, I can hardly breathe, and I all I want is to escape.

Praise God that He does not leave me in that place alone. The furnace is part of His plan to purify me from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9 As I move through the heating and cooling process His Spirit uses it to temper my soul. Every time I go through the ups and downs of life, the Holy Spirit toughens my spirit. The heat phases teach me that I can stand in the face of adversity. The cooling off phases give me deeper understanding of the power of restoration and reconciliation. As a matter of fact, just recently I noticed that I am able to rest in the Lord more fully when faced with familiar struggles. May His Name be forever praised. Amen

How thankful I am that "we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are - yet was without sin." Hebrews 4:15 Jesus understands every challenge and temptation I face. He was able to meet every situation with the exact response that was needed.

When things get sticky, there are lots of ways to respond. I have tried a lot of them. I can curl up in a helpless ball. I can dissolve into hopeless tears. I can throw a temper tantrum. I can turn my frustration and anger on others. I can apply the threatening-to-undo-me energy to a physical project. I can stop and pray. I turn on a worshipful CD. I can open my Bible and dwell in my Daddy's Truth. I can call a mature friend and seek godly counsel. It's hard to believe, but Jesus faced this same span of choices when He walked this earth. (Okay, maybe not the CD player or the telephone.) Yet He never made any of the wrong choices.

Of course, the key is that Jesus was fully divine at the same time He was fully human. His knowledge and understanding were perfect. He knew who was talking to Him in the desert when He responded with Scripture. Luke 4:1-13 He knew the heart of the woman at the well when He spoke of her sin and the living water available to her. John 4:1-26 He saw behind the white wash facade of the Pharisees when He confronted them about their hypocrisy. Matthew 23:13-29 He understood the blasphemy of the money changers when He drove them out of the temple. Mark 11:15-17 He was prepared for Peter's betrayal and repentance when He spoke to him with tenderness. Matthew 26:31-34 His human side must have been incredibly disrupted, but Jesus responded perfectly in every one of these situations.

Hallelujah, this same Jesus, the Son of God, has placed His Holy Spirit into the heart of every believer and this Spirit is ready, willing and able to guide us in the way we should go. John 14:16,26 As I shared with a dear friend recently, "It's not the jumbled up reactions we have that are the problem. It's the human experience in this fallen world. We need not be surprised that we feel stretched by what happens around us. It's what happens next that's the issue" 1 Peter 4:12

The impurities that appear when the furnace heats up in my life are ugly. I am made of special materials, was chosen by God before the world came to be, and my life is already laid out for me. Psalm 139, Ephesians 1:4, Jeremiah 29:11 God's Word tells me that every high and low temperature is arranged for my benefit. Romans 8:28 They are all part of the annealing process of this crucible walk. The way I/we choose to respond to them is the key.

Do we turn our hearts toward our heavenly Father? Do we look to our older Brother? Do we rely on the Holy Spirit? Do we express our love for God by choosing obedience? John 14:15 Every time we do these things, we show forth God's glory. We are conquerors in His Name and we are refined for His purposes.

Another awesome glimpse of God in my life is revealed. I walk the crucible's path through the furnace of fiery tests and trials. The heat produced by God's loving power and applied through His sovereign providence causes my sin to rise to the surface. Christ speaks to His Father on my behalf and His Holy Spirit steps in at the perfect moment to cool the temperatures to keep me from breaking. He draws me unto Himself in repentance, faith and love. I rest in the purifying nature of the sanctification process of this life. It is the peace and joy of my salvation. I will arrive on heaven's shores without any scorching, singe-free, not even smelling of smoke. Daniel 3:27 Hallelujah!

O, thank You, my God, for creating me and preparing me to be victorious in this life as I glorify Your Name and enjoy You forever. Amen

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18